


No Time This Time

by Gamemakers



Series: Don't Stand So Close To Me [2]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Babysitting, Evil In-Laws, F/M, Sexting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 11:10:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7571956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gamemakers/pseuds/Gamemakers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Annie and Finnick head out of town for a (mother-in-law mandated) Hawaiian vacation, Katniss is called up for babysitting duty. Watching three kids doesn't leave a lot of time to see Peeta, but somehow, they'll make do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Time This Time

Annie didn't see any need for a sitter. "Ronan's fifteen. He and Maggie are old enough to handle things by themselves," she said. "If you could just give them a ride to school in the morning, maybe keep your phone on you so they have someone to call in case something comes up, that would be fantastic."

Perhaps saying that Annie had attempted to convince herself there was no need for a sitter would be more accurate. Katniss didn't need their decade-and-some of friendship to know that the pose she currently struck- sitting on the edge of the desk, switching off between picking at one thumbnail and the other- was not that of a mother perfectly comfortable with having her children home alone for four days. Add in that Annie looked ready to pass out at the very thought, and she had all the ingredients for a Maltov cocktail sitting in front of her. Time for an intervention. "You're sure you don't want someone staying with them overnight? It wouldn't be any trouble. I'd come over at eight or so, make sure everybody gets to bed, be there when it' time for school. It's not like I've got a social calendar to clear out."

"If you're sure it wouldn't be any trouble. They're responsible enough, I know they are, but -"

"But you're worried," Katniss supplied.

"Yes." Her friend sighed and lifted up her glasses to rub at the bridge of her nose. "When am I going to learn not to worry so much?"

Katniss grinned at that. "Judging by the calls I still get from my mother, I'm guessing it won't be any time soon."

* * *

Her phone buzzed just as Dylan sent her piece back to start for the third time. "Sorry!"

Katniss snorted. "No, you're not." While he moved that poor little green piece all the way back around the board, she checked her phone to find a new message from Peeta.

_Want to meet up tomorrow night?_

She had almost completely lost the feeling that their relationship could blow up in her face at any moment. Three months of dating will do that to a person. Then again, they still found landmines left over from World War II every once in a while, sometimes in the less-than-ideal way. It was always best to be careful.

Not that being careful had anything to do with her response. _Sorry, can't. Babysitting._

The blinking ellipses of death stared back at her. _I can do later tonight or Saturday if that works better._

"Katniss, it's your turn," Dylan reminded her.

Wait, was she really that far behind? That poor green piece! No, there was no way she was actually losing that badly. She fixed her best evil eye on the boy. "Did you move the pieces when I wasn't looking?"

"No! I didn't even touch the pieces while you were on your phone!"

"Hmm." If he wasn't so stinking cute, there was no way she'd be letting him get away with this. She pulled a shitty four on her turn. Dylan managed an eleven, enough to get him within striking distance of home. Now that she got to thinking about it, Sorry was really kind of a passive-aggressive name for this game. She doubted its inventors were honestly sorry for what they'd unleashed on the parents and babysitters of the world.

Three more unsatisfactory turns later, he won. She still hadn't managed to get out of start. Dylan lobbied for best two out of three, which she informed him in no uncertain terms was not going to happen. Rarely was defeat so easily packed away and stuffed back in the closet.

Once she had him set up on the computer, every parental control she knew about enabled, Katniss finally had a chance to get back to Peeta. _I'm staying with the kids until Sunday night, maybe Monday morning. If I've got an afternoon free, I'll let you know._

His reply came within seconds. _Sounds good. Love you._

_Love you too._

* * *

Mission Get the Kid to Bed: Day Two was a success. She hadn't done much babysitting since high school, but she hadn't lost her knack for it – at least in that regard. Katniss wasn't ready to make any final verdicts until she delivered three children, hopefully all in one piece, back to Annie. Thinking of Annie, she should probably give her a call. "So, how's Hawaii?" There was a pause. "Annie?" It wouldn't be the first time her phone had dropped a call with no warning, but the coverage in this area of town was usually pretty good.

"Yeah, I'm here. Have you ever felt like you're in heaven and hell at the same time?"

She was starting to see where this was headed. "Let's say that hypothetically I have."

"Well, like, it's Oahu. The beaches - the party is right on the beach – and the weather and stuff, it's all gorgeous. But I feel so guilty for being here right now, and I feel like I'm in trouble with my mother in law, and it's just… I don't know."

"Why are you in trouble? You're there for her birthday, right?"

"It's apparently my fault that I didn't bring the kids. She doesn't get that just because kids in Hawaii are out by now, that doesn't mean that our kids are out of school as well. It wouldn't be a big deal for Dylan, but the older kids are in high school now. I can't have them missing two days the week before finals! And even if it wasn't during school, tickets from Phoenix to Hawaii are a thousand bucks a pop. How are we supposed to find that kind of money? We're _teachers_ for God's sake!"

She didn't immediately recognize the phone's vibration against her cheek as a missed call. Seeing as her part of this conversation was rather limited, Katniss only felt a little bit guilty when she checked the message Peeta had left. _Hey. Just wanted to check about Saturday afternoon. Looks like I'm going to be busy all week in the bakery. Hope to see you soon._

"We're staying at her house, so I can't even get away from her at night. I can't believe this trip is only half-done. I've never looked forward to a seven-hour flight before…"

Katniss made a vaguely comforting noise as she typed. _Sorry, but tomorrow's a no-go. I'm taking the youngest to the pool in the afternoon. We'll have to make a point of keeping next weekend free._

_Not Sunday either?_

_My living room is being taken over by assignments I haven't graded, and grades are due a week from today._

_Don't get buried alive._

She grinned. _I'll do my best._

Annie was still going off about her mother-in-law. Thank God she didn't have to deal with that anymore. Not that Hazelle had ever been anything but well-meaning, but what could possibly be more annoying than well-intentioned questions about when she and Gale were planning on starting a family? How many twenty-three-year-olds had concrete answers to questions like that? At thirty-five, Katniss still hadn't made up her mind on the whole child issue. She thought about it from time to time, and the thought of a little girl with her hair and Peeta's eyes had popped into her head more and more often in recent months, but that didn't mean anything. She –

Her train of thought crashed into the side of a mountain when she saw the picture Peeta had just sent. Good Lord, he had no right to pull this on her without a warning first. He must have just stepped out of the shower, for his hair was dark and clinging to his face, and he had wrapped a towel around his waist. He never bothered to towel off very well before leaving the bathroom, and it was so easy to imagine a droplet or two gliding down from his shoulder and over his chest, her lips following its path as it disappeared under the towel. Katniss clenched her thighs.

"Hello? Hello, can you hear me?"

She did her best to shake away the image. "Yeah, I'm here, just got distracted for a second there."

"Are the kids doing all right? They promised they would be extra good for you."

"Don't worry about them, Annie. They're doing fine. Ronan's out, but he's going to be back before eleven, and Maggie's shut herself up in her room. I got Dylan to bed." She mentally flipped through the list of things to tell Annie that she'd been compiling since their conversation last night. Close to done. Excellent. "If it's all right with you, I was thinking I'd take Dylan to the pool or the movies tomorrow, get him out of the house so the older two could study for finals."

"You're a godsend. Thank you so much for watching them."

Every time she blinked, she saw Peeta in nothing but that fluffy green towel. She might as well have tattooed that picture on the inside of her eyelids. "You're very welcome. It's been fun." Though she was alone, Katniss made a show of looking up at the clock and sighing. "I should probably be getting some grading done. Drink some piña coladas for me, okay?"

Annie laughed. "I think I can handle that. Thanks again, Katniss. You'll have to let me know what I can do to pay you back."

She was never getting out of this conversation, was she? "Don't worry about it. See you later."

"I suppose I can't really stay away from this party any longer. Bye."

"Bye." Katniss had that picture pulled up again the instant she ended the call. Zooming in here, then there, scrolling left, right up, back again. He'd definitely given her an eyeful. It was only fair to retaliate in kind. Katniss checked that the door was locked before undoing the top few buttons of her blouse. Peeta would never let anyone else get their hands on any risqué pictures she sent him, but that didn't mean she was willing to bare it all just yet.

It took eleven tries to get an image she wanted to share. The first several were terrible, all awkward facial expressions and not knowing quite what to do with her arms. Number eleven, though… she would fuck number eleven. Cleavage out, hair up, and peering at the viewer over her reading glasses, that Katniss managed to be equal parts Bond girl and sexy librarian. She took a moment to check for anything weird in the background before pressing send.

She didn't have to wait long for a reply. _Are you trying to kill me?_

_Depends. Is it working?_

_Hell yes._ She knew the exact voice he would say that in, could hear the growl that crept in when he had her underneath him. Peeta would follow it with a kiss, perhaps to the area just behind her knee. He did love to lavish attention on that spot. She remembered stubble from the photo, stubble that would rub against her inner thighs as he kissed his way up them, that would tickle and sting now and leave a faint map of where his lips had been for later.

Katniss groaned, and she reached down to push her jeans down past her hips. Her fingers started working in small circles, but she knew that touch alone wouldn't be enough tonight. Her hands shook as she typed out another message. _Tell me more._


End file.
